The First Counsel

BookPage audio column by Sukey Howard

erous first daughterAt the very beginning of Brad Meltzer's Washington thriller, The First Counsel, Michael Garrick, a young lawyer and proud two-year veteran of the White House Counsel's office, reels off a litany of his fears from heights to disappointing his father. But, he tells us with youthful bravura, he's not afraid of power he loves it. When Nora, the darkly beautiful daughter of the president, who wears power the way some women wear Chanel, suggests they go out, Michael is in heaven. But when daredevil Nora goads him into going where he shouldn't go and seeing what he shouldn't see, his dream date turns into a spiraling nightmare that puts his job, his reputation and even his life in jeopardy. With his world turned upside down, Michael doesn't know who to trust or where to look for help. D.B. Sweeney's taut narration keeps the story moving at a cinematic clip.